MOTORSPORT: Ford royalty at Gold Coast Supercars

While Scott McLaughlin aims to become the King of the Supercars championship on the Gold Coast this weekend, he will be performing in front of Ford family royalty.

The great-grandson of founder Henry Ford, Edsel Ford II, who played a memorable role in the establishment of Dick Johnson as a Blue Oval hero, is on-hand to watch McLaughlin and the rest of Supercars field perform.

The DJR Team Penske Ford Mustang driver can clinch his second consecutive drivers’ championship if he exits the weekend’s two 300km races with a 600-point lead.

He currently leads by 622 points over factory Holden driver Shane van Gisbergen.

Achieve his points ambition and McLaughlin will have the longest victory lap in modern Australian touring car championship history at the Sandown 500 and Newcastle 600.

There’s something entirely appropriate about McLaughlin potentially winning the title in front of Ford II, who on national television famously pledged a dollar-for-dollar sponsorship for Dick Johnson after he hit the rock at Bathurst in 1980.

Back then Ford II was vice-president of Ford Australia. These days the 70-year-old is a member of Fomoco’s global board and globally regarded as the patron of its motorsport activities.

And these days Johnson has another American to thank for rebuilding his team to competitiveness; American billionaire Roger Penske who bought a majority stake in the then struggling DJR in 2014.

Overnight, Penske was awarded the USA’s top civilian honour, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by US president Donald Trump for his contribution to motorsport and the automotive industry.

Accompanying Edsel Ford in his Australian visit is Mark Rushbrook, the chief of Ford’s global motor racing programs.

It was Rushbrook’s team at Ford Performance that did the heavy lifting on the crucial aerodynamic design of the Mustang that debuted in Supercars this year.

They proved so good at their job they exposed the inadequacies of Supercars testing regime, prompted a series of in-season adjustments and a promise that downforce will be cut on all cars before next season begins.

Meanwhile, two other Blue Oval stars will be seeking redemption on the Gold Coast.

And given they both have displayed decent form on the concrete-lined street track previously, Mustang drivers Fabian Coulthard and Chaz Mostert may just achieve it.

Coulthard, McLaughlin’s DJR Team Penske teammate, was at the centre of the late-race safety car drama in the Bathurst 1000 which resulted in the team copping a $250,000 fine ($100,000 suspended) and a 300-point teams championship points penalty, while Coulthard and co-driver Tony D’Alberto were dumped from sixth to 21st and last place in the race.

Mostert, meanwhile, ruined both his own and Tickford Racing teammate Cameron Waters’ very real shot at a Bathurst podium when he cocked up his braking and took both of them into the Chase sandtrap and out of contention.

McLaughlin went on to win the Great Race with co-driver Alex Premat.

Coulthard hasn’t threatened the podium since Townsville in July and he’s furious about the abusive treatment he’s received from fans for following team orders.

His Bathurst demotion dropped him from third to fourth in the championship, no doubt further souring his mood.

Mostert, meanwhile, runs third in the championship, and races in his home town as defending race championship with co-driver James Moffat. The two won on Saturday in 2018 and were big chances to repeat on Sunday until rain forced the race to be abandoned.

Mostert’s Bathurst mistake was amplified by the fact he and Waters just cannot stop running into each other. It was the second race meeting in a row they had made contact and the third year in a row their cars had been involved in incidents together at Bathurst.

While Coulthard has understandably kept a low profile this week, Mostert fronted the media at a Supercars events promotion this week. But when asked about Bathurst he preferred to talk about the golf he’s been playing since then.

“I think I’ve played about three games of golf, thought nothing about motorsport. It’s been a fantastic week,” he said.

Off-track Mostert’s no doubt conscious of some sensitivities, because he is soon expected to announce a shift to the Walkinshaw Andretti United Holden team for 2020.

Ironically, Mostert’s Bathurst blunder helped elevate the WAU entry of James Courtney and Jack Perkins onto the podium in the great race.

There are three 30-minute practice sessions for the 25-car Supercars field today (Friday), while qualifying, a top 10 shootout and a 300km race take place on both Saturday and Sunday.